The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-11-05
PRATT'S INSTITUTE.

We present herewith view of the
Pratt institute building, just erected in
Brooklyn, n Y, in furtherance of the
same idea of combined mental and in
dustrial training. Mr.. Charles Pratt,
donor of the funds for this institution,
admits that he has not fully matured his
plans; that the work must be expert
mental at first, with the managers ready
to adopt whatever experience approves;
but the intent is plain: to give young
people thoroughly practical education, a
cultivation of mind, heart and hand,
making them polite and intelligent work
ers. The building is on Ryerson street,
near Dekalb avenue, six stories high and
substantially built in the Renaissance
style of architecture. Besides the usual
engine and boiler rooms, cooking, eating
and living rooms, offices and assembly
roomS-all completed and furnished with q
view to the most economic working-there
are machine and repair shops, founding
and forging laboratories tool, carpenter
and wood turning rooms, and many others
for practical work. There are also several
large rooms not yet assigned to any special
departments. They may be for study,
a gymnasium, social meetings or some
branch of manual labor not yet agreed
upon. The most important room ut
present is the machine tool laboratory,
which has an area Of 95x37 feet. Above
it, of the same size, is the carpenters and
wood turner's room The founding room
has m area of 29x73 feet. The art de-
partment has very commodious rooms, In
which are to be taught mechanical, archi-
tectural and freehand drawing.
The design of this institute, as stated in
the charter, is ''to afford such instruction
as shall best enable men and women to
earn their own living by applied knowl-
edge" The membership is nominal-but
$40 a year. This is Mr.. Pratt's third
great gift to Brooklyn, the first
being 100000 to the Emanuel Baptist
church, and the second the same amount
to the Adelphi academy. This manual
training school has been in contemplation
for some time, the execution being delayed
because many other cities were expert
menting and it was well to await the re-
suits. The present plan of manual train
ing is but thing of yesterday; and it is
a very curious fact that it was first prac-
ticaliZed in semi barbarious Russia in
1868. In 1876 the exhibit Of the plan at
the Philadelphia Centennial excited great
interest in the United States, and DR..
John ID. Runkle, president of the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology, pub
lished an elaborate report ON the matter,
with recommendations. Soon after man
ual training schools were established sue
cessively in Boston, St. Louis, New Haven,
Omaha, and thereafter in many places
simultaneously The most complete of
all is in Chicago; but many other places
are pushing for the front. Among those
who have written in detail on the advan-
tages of such schools are Charles Francis
Adams and Professor Felix Adler.
America is fast becoming the land par
excellence of educational institutions. All
over the land new and splendid colleges,
or, as they are generously termed, univer-
sites, are springing up. One might think
that the establishment of SO many high
class schools would tend to impair the
prosperity OF the older institutions; but
Johns Hopkins, and the rest of them so on
Just the same, with ever increasing lists
of students.
The latest college is the new Clark uni
versity, the corner stone Of which was
laid with impressive ceremonies at
Worcester, Mass, recently.
The history of the institution Is all com.
prised within the present year. Mr..
Jonas G.. Clark, gentleman Of great
wealth, O native of Hubbardston, near
Worcester, who Is now resident Of that
city, announced last January his inten-
tion Of founding university, to be located
upon land owned by him in the town Of
1is yesidsnee Hs associated with himself